FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Blaine Gabbert had an inconsistent NFL debut and his Jacksonville Jaguars teammates didn’t do any better as the New England Patriots won 47-12 in an exhibition opener on Thursday night.
Playing against mostly backups as top players for both teams sat out the game, the Jaguars scored three field goals on Gabbert’s six possessions. The 10th pick of the draft from Missouri completed 9 of 16 passes for 85 yards. He played the entire first half with starting quarterback David Garrard unavailable with a back injury.
Another rookie quarterback, third-rounder Ryan Mallett of the Patriots, did better.
The former Arkansas standout played the whole second half and drove the Patriots to touchdowns on his first four series, helping to turn a 19-9 halftime lead into a 35-point rout.
